Lurking Evil
by Infortunatus Domina
Summary: AerisSephy: SOmething is wrong with the planet again...but it might be to late to even help out. Evil new and old comes into play in this twisted story about love and hate.


Lurking Evil  
  
Chapter 1  
  
By A'rian  
  
It was a stormy night...darkness enveloped the very soul of who ever was outside. Midgar the haunted city of the planet was nearly abandoned now. The city of ghosts is what they call it now, due to the incident three years ago.  
  
But one man braved the walk through the city this night. Walking along the streets closest to the Shinra building, carrying a slight mid sized hat box with him. A hood covered his face from anyone who tried to look on at him.  
  
The empty streets, to human eyes, gave shivers to the onlookers in their windows of their homes, but this man was fearless not frightened by the horrors that might be close behind him. The ghosts of those who died didn't scare him, nor did the monsters that now reigned supreme in this haunted city.  
  
The man then halted in the middle of the street. He peered toward a small alleyway that was completely black. He couldn't see anything, not even a monster could be seen in this darkness. He turned slowly toward it, like a grim reaper would turning to its prey, gliding more so than walking.  
  
A young girl slowly stepped out, being cautious to not attract attention from anything not human. She merely appeared almost magically before the man, but it was obvious she had no magical abilities. "Help..." she managed to mumble in her squeaky voice. She reached toward one of his boney hands, the man didn't move  
  
He gave a glance at her, observing her. She was about eleven, wearing a rag for a dress that seemed to have been patched up several times. She was thinner than any one he had seen, maybe even thinner than him. Her shoes and socks had holes in them as well, not nearly as patched up as the dress, but their time seemed to be not much longer.  
  
She managed to touch his rough hands with her lanky small hand, the man didn't speak. Her hand then wrapped around his, giving a weak grip, "Please sir...please...my mommy is dying..." she trailed off coughing, for she must had been very ill too.  
  
She slowly tried pulling him toward the alley, but the man didn't move. He kept a grip on the girls hand while gripping the box in his other very tightly, but still nothing came from his lips.  
  
She tugged harder, "Please...I can't stand to see mommy this way...she needs a doctor."  
  
The man nodded then followed the girl through the alley.  
  
You could barely see anything down the alley; a hand touching your nose could have not been seen. The storm was starting to get worse. The man and the girl were soaked head to toe by rain drops that were showering from the sky, as if angels couldn't help themselves but cry this very night.  
  
The young girl tried to grip the man's hand harder, "She's really sick," she then said taking deep breaths as she walked further into the shadows. "Do you think you could help her?"  
  
"I'm a doctor," he finally spoke in this menacing voice. "I can see what I can do to help her, but she may..."  
  
The girl stopped, "Don't say she may not be able to be helped..." she cried out now tears falling from her skinny face, "She's the only thing I have had for the past three years...please try your best..."  
  
They then continued. There was a light now just a bit away, further down the dark alley. The girl started to up her pace, not wanting to let go of the man, but wanting to hurry to get to her mother.  
  
The end of the alley drew nearer and nearer, the man didn't know what he'd find at the end of it, but it might be that the little girl's mother was already dead. But when they finally reached the light the girl screamed, "Mommy, I told you I'd go find help, go lay back down!"  
  
A puddle of blood lay around the older woman's body, "Darling, I'm going to die whether anyone helps me or not."  
  
"Mommy, don't-"  
  
"Was she bitten by one of the monsters that have taken over this area," the man said putting a hand to his chin.  
  
The young girl nodded.  
  
"A blue dragon, once its venom entered my blood stream, it started to eat away at my flesh," the woman managed to cough out.  
  
"Ah, yes I should have guessed." The man paused for a moment and wondered what he could do, "I need to get you to the nearest town, and then I can maybe find the anti-venom, it's not very rare so I wouldn't worry."  
  
He handed the girl his box, "Hold this tightly...don't look inside of it," he said with a stern voice. "What's inside of this box could change the world forever." He went to pick up the girl's mother, "The nearest town is some miles away, can you make it?"  
  
The girl gave him a smile, "Yes, will my mom be alright?"  
  
"If she's been bitten in the last few days, and I'm able to get the anti- venom from my lab in Junon, I wouldn't doubt that you're mother wouldn't survive, Blue Dragon Venom takes weeks before it finally kills its victims."  
  
The girl gave a smile of hope and relief, "Thank you sir, thank you!"  
  
"Okay, we better make a move."  
  
Under his cape, the man had a sinister smile on his face; he was plotting something....something evil.  
  
-----  
  
Vincent starred out toward the city across from Kalm. He couldn't help but noticed the peculiar storm forming over Midgar. The haunted city was stirring, and it was always hiding its many secrets, its many forgotten secrets. These secrets were never to be recovered. Even being an ex-Turk, he didn't know much about the company, he was trained to kill and do what he was told.  
  
It haunted him to think about what could happen if Shinra were to rise again. Thank go there weren't innocent people for people to harm, no more Hojo to play games with woman to have his children, then to experiment with them. It was sick, Vincent was glad he was gone.  
  
He slowly stepped into his small room at the Inn, he'd planned to stay there until the morning, check out, and then move on. But something was bothering him, where would he go after this. He'd been trying to find his place to belong, the only time he'd felt he belonged was with Cloud, but who know where he's been these past 3 years.  
  
Vincent lost contact with everyone when he had them drop him off at an early stop. Everyone went to a huge celebration at Cosmo Canyon, but Vincent didn't feeling like celebrating that night....  
  
"I failed you Lucrecia..." Vincent mumbled to himself. "I didn't save your son...twice now...I couldn't even tell you he was alive..." he trailed off into his on depression.  
  
Cid walked up, "Good fight Vinny, never thought I'd be working with anyone with quite your experience, I don't think we would have made it without-"  
  
Vincent cut him off, "Drop me off in Nibelheim of I have something to do..."  
  
"But why not come-"  
  
Again he was cut off, "I have my respects to pay...and more sins to burden me..."  
  
But did Vincent really have sins to burden him; he and his comrades ended Sephiroth's life that day they saved the planet. They didn't just do it for them, but the saved a mad man from the very being who'd have done every last human in. Jenova, Vincent thought while shivers were sent down his spine.  
  
The evil being, the calamity from the sky has the Cetra would have called it. She had driven his loves child mad, to the brink where he wanted to destroy the planet even if it meant he himself would die. Sephiroth was definitely one that would be called misguided youth, but he didn't do it all by himself. Vincent had pity for him, but what could he do now, it was all over.  
  
If Jenova hadn't fallen...Vincent paused for a moment, Lucrecia would be able to leave that cave... but the thought passed as he sat down, Lucrecia was not dead nor a live, more so trapped on this planet. Vincent found her in the gave, she gave him his old weapon death penalty, he'd lost it when Hojo had messed with his body. When Vincent went to hold her, she was so cold with him.  
  
He was a fool for getting involved back then, he was merely 24, leader of the Turks when he met her, he had no intention of falling for the head of the Science Department's wife.  
  
He gazed out the window towards the haunted city once more, the dark clouds were getting bigger, the bolts of lightning getting stronger. Vincent sighed. A storm soon would pass by, but that wasn't bothering him. Vincent felt something that he didn't quite understand, maybe it was regret of not stealing Lucrecia away, or maybe it was happiness that the world was once a peaceful place. But all Vincent did know was he needed to get out of Kalm, and away from Midgar soon, or he'd thought he'd rot.  
  
-----  
  
"You are a failure" the dark image spoke to the blonde spikey haired man. "Cloud, you are a failed experiment..."  
  
Another dark imaged appeared, "you are a puppet..."  
  
GET OUT OF MY HEAD!  
  
A vision of the alter appeared in his head. There he was starring at the nightmare he hated the most...the vision that he wish would go away...As Sephiroth swooped down with the Musamune in hand and with one swish...  
  
-----  
  
Cloud screamed as he startled himself awake. "T-that dream." He wiped the sweat from his brow, "It still haunts me.." Cloud looked at the clock really quickly to be sure he hadn't slept in, "Three-thirty," he said bitterly to himself, "it's been three years and you still can't forget it, you dumb fool, you loved her too much."  
  
Cloud slowly got out of bed even though he know that it was very early in the morning. The sun hadn't yet peaked over the horizon, nor would it for several more hours.  
  
Even in early hours of the morning Costa Del Sol was lively, observed Cloud has he looked out his Ville' s window watching the drunks stumbling with their whores in hand. Cloud would probably go out drinking tonight, but he would never bring back a whore. Tifa was coming to town again, and he hated being sober around her at the moment.  
  
Tifa was always trying to be lovey-dovey lately, always trying the wrong way to win Cloud over. Usually conversations led to arguments which lead to Tifa upsetting Cloud. Of course Cloud couldn't deny the feelings he had for Tifa, but he could forget the feelings he had for his lost love Aeris.  
  
Cloud shook as he thought about Aeris, that sword, and about Sephiroth, while he was trying to put on a pot of coffee. Cloud she's gone... Tifa's voice rang in his head. Why not try giving Tifa a shot if it worked out hey great, but if it didn't...  
  
You could always use her for the sex... mumbled a voice in his head  
  
Cloud rolled his eyes, he wanted to give Tifa a shot at being with him, he didn't plan on sleeping with her anytime soon. Tifa wasn't really the type for Cloud...yeah they had been good friends, but she was disappointing to be around.  
  
When Aeris died, that day so long ago, Tifa was there, she was there to comfort him, but Cloud later found out Tifa was just doing it in hopes of Cloud returning her love. She tried manipulating him to love her really, and Cloud didn't stand for that not one bit.  
  
Something Cloud was sure of, when Tifa came and visited, he was going to get good and drunk after she left.  
  
Cloud flicked on the TV as he poured himself a cup of coffee, "In other news," spoke the newscaster, "It seems Reeves, most recently appointed heir of the Shinra Fund, is due to marry in several months. Seems like Mr. Reeves isn't waiting to long to spend his fortune on a very beautiful young lady." The reporter paused..."But little is known on who this young beauty can be."  
  
Cloud smiled, at least Reeves is going to be happy, good for him. Cloud sipped his coffee continuing to stare blankly at the TV, maybe I should give my old pal a call see what's going on. 


End file.
